Love You Like A Love Song
by MorganLeFay33
Summary: "Cora begged her to go dancing." - Fluffy, modern AU
1. Chapter 1

_Hope you enjoy my weird little modern AU. I promise you, it will help to listen to the song (Timberlake – Mirrors) while you read! I couldn't help but think of Corah when I heard it. I'm presenting a multi-sensory experience here! _

_ xoxo, Morgana_

**Mirrors**

Cora begged her to go dancing. Sarah turned toward her, hands submerged in the sudsy water and little bubbles of dish soap floating around her head.

"But…"

"But _what_? It's been ages since we went out on a real date, and we've _never _been dancing together before. I want to dance with you, darling." Cora gave her a flirtatious side-grin and rushed forward to wrap her arms around Sarah's waist from behind. She rested her head on her wife's shoulder, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and kissing her neck.

Sarah melted, leaning backwards into Cora's warm touch. "Oh all right – but only because you cooked us such a lovely meal. Just let me finish washing up."

Cora clapped her hands in delight, knowing all too well that Sarah would go begrudgingly, but would end up enjoying it much more than she'd ever admit.

As they leaned side-by-side over the bathroom sink, Sarah stopped putting on her mascara for a moment to watch the woman beside her in the mirror. Even after all these years, the sight of Cora getting ready for a night out made her heart jump. She was as glamorous as a movie star, ruffling her shining hair and puckering her ruby-red lips. All Sarah wanted to do was stay home and kiss her until they were dizzy, but she knew that Cora wanted this. She could never bring herself to say no when Cora really wanted something.

_Aren't you something to admire, 'cause your shine is something like a mirror._

_I can't help but notice, you reflect in this heart of mine._

_If you ever feel alone and the glare makes me hard to find,_

_Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side_

The club Cora had found was clearly not meant for women their age, but neither of them cared. The lights weren't too low and the music wasn't too loud. As Sarah sat down at the bar to order their drinks, Cora gasped and cried, "I love this song! Let's dance!"

Sarah wanted to roll her eyes. She couldn't stand this kind of hackneyed pop music, but Cora had always liked it for some inexplicable reason.

"Please?" Cora pouted.

If they were going to do this, they might as well do this. Sarah stood up and grabbed her hand. She hurriedly pulled her toward the dance floor, leaving the bartender confused as to why she had stopped her order mid-sentence.

_'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_

_I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go._

* * *

"What?" Ivy hadn't been paying attention to anything Alfred was saying.

"I said would you like another drink?"

"Oh, yeah."

"What do you want?"

What did she want? She didn't know. She didn't want to be on this date right now. She didn't want to be forced by her mother to husband-hunt every weekend. She didn't want to be in this stupid club with this obnoxious music and this boring guy she had met in the break room at work. "I'll have whatever you're having," she said absentmindedly.

He nodded and walked away, leaving her to sit by herself in the booth. He really was a nice person, Ivy thought, and he was trying so hard. It was too bad that he hadn't taken some other girl here.

She watched the lights flicker as people moved around on the dance floor. Suddenly, her vision locked on a couple near the side of the room – two dark-haired older women wearing clothing much too sophisticated for this place. They were laughing as they swayed and bounced in time to the music, holding each other close. The taller woman twirled her partner around until her partner's arms were crossed against her own chest, and she held them there, dancing behind her shorter companion and whispering things in her ears that made the other woman's face light up. The taller woman eventually let go and moved her hands down her partner's hips, swaying closely behind her until her partner turned around and wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck. They danced impossibly close to one another, leaving no room for air. They gazed deeply into one another's eyes, smiling at each other lovingly, and eventually meeting in a gentle kiss. They were beautiful.

_You were right here all along._

_It's like you're my mirror_

_My mirror staring back at me_

_I couldn't get any bigger_

_With anyone else beside of me,_

_And now it's clear as this promise_

_That we're making two reflections into one._

"Hiya. What's so interesting over there?" Alfred had returned with two pints of Guinness.

Ivy turned back to him quickly, feeling herself blush. "Nothing."

_Keep your eyes on me,_

_Baby, keep your eyes on me,_

He squinted and looked behind her. All of the sudden, his jaw dropped and his eyes glazed over. "Bloody hell, those are my aunts! What are _they _doing here?!"

_And I can't wait wait wait wait wait to get you home_

_Just to let you know, you are the love of my life. _

_Girl you're my reflection, all I see is you_

_My reflection, in everything I do_.


	2. Chapter 2

_I wanted to continue with this story, so here's another chapter for you! There's mention of an OC here, so I hope you like her well enough. Once again, it will help to listen to the song (Holiday - The Very Thought of You) _

_xoxo, Morgana_

**The Very Thought of You**

Alfred called to cancel their dinner date for Thursday. His mum was making him go to his aunts' house for Aunt Cora's annual American Thanksgiving dinner. His parents couldn't make it this year and none of his cousins could go. He felt bad anyway, he said – she always put so much effort into it, and it was one way the family tried to make her feel less homesick.

"I could come with you!" Ivy volunteered all too quickly. She scolded herself in her head for showing too much eagerness.

"Really? You remember them, right? They're not…well, they're…_lesbians_." He said the word nervously as if it were something silly and naughty.

"Yeah I know." Ivy tried to play it off impartially. "I don't care."

It was decided that she would go too. Ivy nearly leapt around in her room in irrational excitement. Part of her wondered if she'd stayed with Alfred for this long – coming on three months, now – because she'd been so entranced with his aunts. If she was honest with herself, she easily recognized that she also just liked the idea having a boyfriend. She liked the attention he gave her, being able to giggle and pull up his photo on facebook when her friends asked about her boyfriend, having the ability to turn guys down by telling them she was taken, and most of all appeasing her nosy mother. She only liked telling people she had a boyfriend. No matter how much she tried, she did not like Alfred.

_The very thought of you_

_And I forget to do_

_Those little ordinary things_

_That everyone ought to do._

* * *

"Shit!" Alfred cried. "I forgot the cake mum made for you."

"Oh, that's a shame," Cora said kindly, clearing the dinner plates off the table. "That's fine. We have plenty of pie here."

"No," Alfred insisted. "I'll go get it. It'll only take ten minutes."

"You sure? We have lots of dessert here," Sarah replied.

"No it's fine." He rose from his seat and turned to Ivy. "Ivy, you can stay and keep them company for a few minutes, yeah?"

She felt anxious, but strangely delighted to be left with them. They were both so interesting, even if she did worry about embarrassing herself more than she already had. The whole evening, she'd made every effort to get to know them. She had an inexplicable desire to tell them everything about herself, and constantly had to remind herself to stop chattering. She wanted them to like her, wanted them to understand her. She realized she was being stupid. She was especially humiliated by the way she felt herself blush whenever they touched one another – little shoulder pats, hand-holding, tiny pecks on the lips. It stirred something dangerous inside her, and she could almost tell that they could tell.

"Let me help with the dishes. Please."

"Nonsense," Sarah stopped her. "You're our guest. You stay right where you are."

"How about some music?" Cora called spiritedly from the kitchen.

"Good idea!" Sarah responded as she walked over to the speakers.

When Cora had finished setting out dessert, she sat down next to Sarah and ran her fingers through her wife's hair, teasing, "Billie Holiday again? Why don't you ever listen to music from this century?"

Sarah threw her arm around Cora and kissed her cheek, replying with an affectionate growl, "Because everything from _this _century is complete rubbish."

_I'm living in a kind of a daydream._

_I'm happy as a queen_

_And foolish though it may seem_

_To me that's everything._

"Jo - my friend I told you about earlier – she likes old fashioned jazz too." Ivy wanted to kick herself for mentioning Jo for the hundredth time. It just kept slipping out. It didn't help that Sarah's voice reminded her of Jo's.

Sarah leaned her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands, murmuring, "Then I approve of her. How did you two meet?"

Ivy's heart stopped at the question. Did they know? Of course not. How could they know? Ivy rambled in response, "We met at uni last year. She's an aerospace engineer. Well, almost one. Just one more year of graduate school and she'll be one."

Ivy could remember very clearly how they'd met, for it was Josephine's beautiful voice she'd heard first, sniggering loudly and shouting, "Piss off!"

Jo had been arguing good-naturedly with some mutual friends at a party. From that moment on, Ivy always lost her breath at the sight of Jo – tall, buxom, head usually thrown back in laughter, that impossibly generous smile, and those large periwinkle eyes. Jo always seemed to be joking around with someone or telling someone off, marching about in tall boots and black skirts, her thick white-blonde hair perpetually coming loose from her clips and barrettes. She always had somewhere to be, something to get done. Jo was blatant about herself. Everyone knew she was gay. She'd told Ivy she was gay. Ivy told Jo she was straight. It was settled, but it wasn't truly settled. They were friends. Ivy wanted more. She didn't know how to ask. She'd done the only thing she knew how to do. She'd anonymously dropped little presents on Jo's front step every day of exam week – bags of sweets, a new hat, a new scarf, a new pair of gloves, sharpened pencils, bath salts, a silver heart-shaped necklace. Half a year later, and Jo hadn't learned the identity of her secret admirer. It was probably better that way, Ivy thought. Jo was a woman – a gifted, brave, bold woman. Ivy was just a stupid girl.

Cora nodded, "Well that's certainly impressive. She sounds like a keeper."

Sarah smirked and began to cut the pie. Ivy felt her face turn scarlet and concentrated closely on the napkin in her lap.

_The mere idea of you_

_The longing here for you_

_You'll never know_

_How slow the moments go_

_Till I'm near to you._

* * *

For someone who wore such no-nonsense clothing during the day, Sarah always made Cora giggle at the slinky things she donned at night. Cora's eyes strayed from the television as she watched Sarah saunter into their bedroom in a short black slip, a cup of tea in either hand. Cora looked down at her own button-up pajamas and smiled, knowing the only reason for Sarah's getup was that Cora always bought those things for her in the first place. Sarah would never spend money on something so impractical for herself.

"Here you are, love." Sarah handed her the cup of tea as she slipped into bed next to her wife. They toasted teacups and Sarah congratulated her on a feast well done.

Sarah then turned her attention to the television. "Really? Downton Abbey again?" she grumbled. "What about the news? Can't we watch the news instead?"

"Oh come on, I _like _it," Cora pouted. "I made the dinner. You don't get to complain."

Sarah nodded in concession. "You're right. Downton Abbey it is," she replied with a shudder.

"No. Never mind now." Cora set aside her tea and clicked the remote control, turning the television off. "I'm _much _more interested in something else now." She gave Sarah an impish grin and cuddled up to her, running her hands through the silken creases of Sarah's short nightgown and pulling it upwards over her thighs.

Sarah turned to catch her lover's lips in a brief kiss before whispering with a sigh, "Alfred's new girlfriend is besotted with the lovely lady Josephine, isn't she?"

"Do you mean like Cora is besotted with Sarah?" Cora purred playfully as she nuzzled her wife's ear.

Sarah fidgeted and continued, "The poor lad's got no chance."

Cora stopped her motions for a moment, staring off into the distance and muttering, "Are you going to tell him or should I?"

"Oh, I'm not telling him," Sarah chuckled. "He needs to learn things on his own now. Besides, I haven't got the time. I…"

Cora was shocked at Sarah's insolent response. "What do you mean you haven't got the time? He's your nephew!"

Sarah snickered sarcastically, and before Cora knew it, she was trapped underneath her lover in a tight hold, feeling Sarah's lips crash down on her own.

"What I was _going _to say, before you so _rudely _interrupted me," Sarah murmured between kisses, "is that I am very busy at the moment, making love to my beautiful wife. He can take a number or leave a phone message. I'll be occupied for the next several hours...at least..."

_I see your face in every flower_

_Your eyes in stars above._

_It's just the thought of you,_

_The very thought of you, my love._


	3. Chapter 3

_The song this time is La Roux – Armour Love. Enjoy! _

**Armour Love**

Sarah knew precisely where to find her. She'd lain awake in the wee hours of the morning thinking about it. She decided that she really did need to say something, but it wasn't to Alfred and it wasn't entirely for Alfred's sake.

"Hello, Sarah," Beryl greeted her cordially as she entered the kitchen.

"Hiya, Beryl. Can you tell me where Ivy Stuart is?"

"I'm right here. Do you want me to get Alfred?"

Sarah spun around to see the young waitress standing there in confusion.

"No. I want to talk to you." Sarah had no time for awkward greetings. She had clients waiting, after all. "Just for a few minutes. Do you mind, Beryl? It's important."

Beryl shook her head and ordered Daisy to sit them down at a nearby table and bring them some tea. Daisy shot Ivy a deadly glare. Once Daisy left the room to get the tea, Ivy heard her phone ding with a text from Daisy:

_Spending time with his family now too, are you? When's the wedding?_

While Ivy fiddled with her phone and Daisy set their table, Sarah dropped her purse on the floor and took off her coat, wincing at the music coming through the background speakers. The last thing they needed right now was an apropos soundtrack.

_You put on your armour._

_You put up defenses._

_What are you on to?_

_Cause I'm here to protect you._

Once Daisy was out of earshot, Sarah poured tea for them both and said curtly, "We have some things to discuss."

The younger woman stuttered, "Wh…how did you find me here?"

"I used to work in this hotel. I helped Alfred get his job here. I haven't got all day, so I'm just going to be honest with you. You need to break up with my nephew."

Ivy's eyes grew wide in shock. "_What_?"

In this moment, Sarah felt relieved that she hadn't brought Cora with her today. Things would move so much more quickly without her here, for Cora had the tendency to slow unpleasant conversations with showers of sweet words and gentle, thoughtful pauses. Sarah also hated when her wife saw this more disagreeable side of herself. She meant business today.

"You heard me. Break up with him."

"But…"

"But what?

"But I like him!"

Sarah laughed at Ivy's panicked, disingenuous insistence. "And I like cauliflower. Doesn't mean I have to friggin' date it. You're about as straight as the fur on a poodle's back. Don't try and hide it from me."

Ivy's face had turned crimson by this point and her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. After a moment of pained silence, she responded in a shaking voice, "How did you know?"

_When your life is tangled_

_You wear your disguises,_

_But why do you need to_

_When I'm standing here beside you,_

_So take it easy._

_I'll make it so easy._

Sarah allowed herself to soften a bit. "Ivy, I've spent half my life trying to hide who I am. Do you really think I couldn't spot that in someone else too? You owe it to Alfred to be honest, but you also owe it to yourself…and maybe even to this…Josephine who seems to have stolen your heart." Sarah smiled gently.

Ivy looked at her, stunned, unable to speak.

Sarah continued, "You should tell her how you feel."

"I can't," Ivy replied quickly.

"Why not? Is she straight? I'll understand if that's why, but even then…"

"No," Ivy interrupted her. "She's not."

Sarah leaned back and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Jesus Christ! You need to tell her then."

"I just can't. I don't know how to…" Ivy trailed off, looking at the ground in embarrassment.

Sarah shook her head and laughed incredulously. "Don't be daft. You can and you will. Ivy, do you know how long I knew my wife before I told her I loved her? Nearly a decade."

Ivy seemed taken aback.

Sarah continued, "I'll bet you also didn't know that Cora's father owns this hotel. And I ran the salon here. That's right, the bloody salon. She came in here nearly every week for ten years, and I kept it all inside myself because I thought I had no chance. It was miserable."

"Why?"

Sarah twisted her mouth into an unsatisfied grimace and answered, "What do you think? She was a wealthy American hotel heiress with a husband and three kids. I was a hair stylist. You calculate it."

Ivy gazed at Sarah with an expression akin to wonder in her eyes. "But then, you…"

"Yes. But it took long enough. Turns out, she'd been unhappy too. When you don't tell someone how you feel, nobody wins."

Ivy looked as if she hadn't considered that before. "What if she rejects me?" she asked softly.

"Then she rejects you and you can move on. Your kind are just the worst."

"What do you mean, _my _kind?" Ivy asked, slightly offended.

Sarah leaned in and chuckled. "The kind who date men - or like my wife, marry them – without actually meaning it. The kind who tell everyone they're straight."

"Oh," Ivy answered dejectedly.

"I don't even know this Jo girl, but I feel like I do. Do you know how incredibly frustrating it is to fall for a straight woman and know you have to tiptoe around her for your whole life? Act like it's perfectly fine to be friends, when you're always wanting something more? For Christ's sake, Ivy, at least _you _know that this one fancies women. Give her a chance!"

"I've never thought of it like that," Ivy whispered.

"Well, you should," Sarah answered bitterly. "It's step one of love – thinking about another person before yourself. Ever heard of it before? Did you ever consider what _she _might be going through?"

"No," Ivy answered guiltily.

"Right," Sarah said matter-of-factly. "Does she live around here?"

"Wh..what?" Ivy asked in surprise.

"Does she?"

"Yeah, but…"

"But nothing. I'm not going to push you, but I'll make my offer. What time do you get off work today? I'll come pick you up and take you to wherever she lives so you can be honest for once."

"But Alfred…"

"Alfred, my arse," Sarah interrupted her gruffly. "You can deal with him later. Even if you don't want anything to do with Jo, you'll need to tell him goodbye at _some _point."

"I know," Ivy wrung her hands, still not looking Sarah in the eye.

Sarah sat quietly for a moment, waiting for a response. "So it's a no then? All right…" She stood up to leave.

Ivy jumped up. "Wait! No. I want to."

Sarah was unconvinced. "Do you really?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Yes. I really do. I get off at five."

"Good," Sarah grinned heartily. "I'll see you at five."

_You seem to believe you belong to somebody else_

_When you leave me alone in this world you know that I'm in hell._

_Do you know what it's like to be lonely and by yourself?_

* * *

"This it?" Sarah asked. She stopped the car in front of the house, trying to look for the address.

"Yeah," Ivy said quietly. "Flat B."

Ivy didn't know why she'd agreed to this. It all felt so very brash and dangerous. Something about Sarah's self-assuredness gave her confidence. She'd nearly burst into tears earlier, ashamed at herself for how stupid she'd been acting, for leading Alfred on for so long. More than ever, she felt like a stupid, immature girl. She was embarrassed to admit any of it to Sarah, but she turned toward her slowly, asking in a small voice,

"Do you really think she might like me?"

Sarah turned off the ignition and looked at Ivy like she was an idiot.

"You're kidding. She's probably mad for you."

"Really?"

Sarah laughed at Ivy's insecurity. "You're beautiful and you've got a good heart…even if you_ are_ a bloody liar and a tease." She smiled kindly.

"Thanks, Sarah, for everything. I really mean it."

Sarah shrugged. "Go on. Get to it. I'll wait as long as I need to, even if it's until the morning, " she said with a suggestively playful smirk. "You have my mobile number. Just send me a text, and I'll come get you when you're done."

Ivy could feel herself blushing at the thought of Sarah's insinuations. "Thanks."

She wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck as she waited in the cold for Jo to answer the bell. What if she wasn't even home? Ivy secretly wished she wasn't. Then she'd have a reason to stall.

She was out of luck. She heard the familiar voice say through the buzzer, "Hello?"

"Er, it's Ivy! You know, Ivy from school?" she shouted.

"Ivy? What are you…of course. Come right up!"

She heard the door unlock. Right before she ascended the stairs, she turned around to see Sarah waving at her from the car.


	4. Chapter 4

_And now for our final number, Bright Eyes – First Day of my Life_

**First Day of my Life**

Cora heard Sarah's robust laugh from the steamy bathroom and stuck her head around the door to find out its cause. Sarah sat on their bed, typing on her phone.

"Oh-ho!" Sarah remarked with a chuckle. "Ivy's just texted me. She's called Alfred to break up with him and she won't be requiring a ride from me after all. She's staying with Jo. Jo'll take her home tomorrow!"

_This is the first day of my life_

_Swear I was born right in the doorway_

_I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed_

_They're spreading blankets on the beach_

Cora was happy to know it, relieved that Sarah's meddling had ended well enough. "That's wonderful news, darling! This means you don't have to go anywhere tonight."

"I know!" Sarah exclaimed joyfully. "Alfred'll come around, I know it. I've made a love match!"

Cora was amused by Sarah's obliviousness. "Yes, darling, but what I meant is that it's wonderful that you can stay here…with me…?" Cora pointed behind her to the running shower and raised one eyebrow suggestively. She cleared her throat.

Sarah was still fixated on her phone, grinning gleefully. "Yeah."

"Sarah O'Brien, for such a clever woman, you really can be slow on the uptake sometimes. Are you going to join me or not?"

Sarah finally looked up from the phone and her jaw dropped. "You mean…"

"_Yes_!" Cora said impatiently. "Although I might change my mind soon. The hot water is probably gone by now!"

Sarah threw her phone aside and ran toward the bathroom, pulling her jumper off in the process. There were much more important matters at hand now.

_Yours was the first face that I saw_

_I think I was blind before I met you_

_I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been_

_But I know where I want to go_

* * *

Sarah hated the singer's voice, but she liked the song well enough. Acoustic open mic nights were usually hit or miss. She adjusted her bracelets and looked out the window one more time, feeling nervous. Cora sipped her water, thinking that if they didn't arrive soon, she'd finish it all and need to ask for another glass.

"Cora, are you sure this is such a good idea?"

"No."

They both burst into giggles at her response, and Cora continued, "Even if they do hate each other, I think we should all stay friends…and family. Don't you think?"

"It's really odd," Sarah warned her.

"I know," Cora smiled affectionately and reached out to adjust her wife's fringe. "But you have to admit, the entire situation was odd to begin with, and you were such a great help to Ivy."

Sarah grasped Cora's hand under the table, assured by her wife's kindness. If everything else went wrong, she'd at least get to spend an evening out with her favorite person, and what could be better?

_This is the first day of my life_

_Glad I didn't die before I met you_

_Now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you_

_And I'd probably be happy_

All of the sudden, the bell on the door rang lightly and they watched as the four of them entered the restaurant. In just one glance, both Sarah and Cora could tell that the past had been forgiven. Ivy walked confidently, holding the hand of a beautiful, tall blonde girl. Alfred walked arm-in-arm with Daisy, looking admiringly down at his date while she chatted away with Ivy and Josephine.

_So if you want to be with me_

_With these things there's no telling_

_We'll just have to wait and see_

_But I'd rather be working for a paycheck_

_Than waiting to win the lottery_

It was going to be a fun night. Maybe they'd even go dancing afterward…

* * *

_So yeah, that's all! I'm really sorry for ending this story with multiple couples like some kind of Shakespeare comedy, but the cuteness overtook me. _

_Hope you liked this weird little fic! _

_xoxo,_

_Morgana_


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